Make Your Website Your Vision Board

Vision boards are big. I've created one at a writing retreat and one at a corporate event. I was even recently encouraged to make a digital vision board and post it as my desktop wallpaper so that as I'm working, I would catch a glimpse of it every once in a while.

In a 2018 article from Goalcast.com, they explain several reasons why vision boards can be powerful:

1. It creates an emotional connection that motivates you.

2. It makes real the dream in your mind so you begin to believe it's possible.

3. It helps you clarify what you want out of your life because it forces you to put something down.

My personal vision board has pictures like a gorgeous dish because I love to cook, tennis shoes to remind myself that I want to keep moving (physically and mentally), and a pergola because that's a goal I have. It has a picture of me with my kids on a recent trip because I want to make sure family stays a priority, a book because I always want to make time to read, and a picture of women laughing to make sure that I maintain friendships that feed my soul.

Many of the things I have on my vision board are personal, but the fundamentals of a vision board are things that we should be applying to our businesses as well: What we create should motivate us, make our dreams come true, and clarify what we want.

How do we create that?

I've completely changed how I look at websites for my clients. When I look at what someone has in place, I don't ask myself if what they have represents who they are now, I ask if the website represents who they want to become.

Kristi Sullivan, Sullivan Financial Planning

Photo by Life Unstill Photography

Graphic by Social Seed Marketing

And I'll be honest - I don't care if what we put up there hasn't happened yet because I truly believe that if we put it up there...it will. If your goal is to meet more clients, you need to have images up there of you meeting clients. If your goal is more public speaking, then we need to see you doing it. If you're trying to sell books, you need to have a picture of yourself signing one for an adoring reader.

Your website needs to represent the business you WANT not the business you HAVE.

Now, I'm not going to lie - to do this effectively will take some investment on your part. After all, if you're trying to attract executives or high-net-worth clients, then your website needs to look like you're already serving them. Let's face it - people have very little imagination. They don't want to see what you're capable of.

They want to see that you're already doing it.

So, where should you invest your money?

1. If you're not already sure about your brand and your messaging, you need to start there. It needs to be succinct and to the point. Either hire someone to help you or research how to do it. Either way, branding and messaging are the foundation of your marketing and your business. This cannot be done halfway.

2. Invest in a REAL WEB DESIGNER. Don't ask your cousin's roommate just to save a few bucks. You need someone who can understand your branding and your goals and create a website that conveys that message at a glance.

3. Now, this one is really important. INVEST IN GOOD VISUALS. Have a branding photo shoot with a photographer who can visually develop the story you want to tell. Have them take pictures of you at a podium giving a speech, meeting with clients at your office, or whatever it is that you're trying to accomplish.

Melissa Thompson, Accrue Financial Services, LLC

Photo by Life Unstill Photography

Invest in a really good videographer who can create videos for you to use on your website and throughout social media. Again, your potential client doesn't want to imagine what you can do - THEY WANT TO SEE IT.

Movement Science Made Simple

Video by Erin Preston Productions

I realize that we all gulp a little when it comes to reinvesting in our businesses. But

creating a website not for the business you have but for the business you WANT should be exciting. It's a tangible expression of the dream business you are going to create and the reason it works is because to the potential clients who see it, it looks as if you've already done it.